FanHouse Terrellowens

It seems like everybody has a distinct memory of what Michael Jackson meant to them, particularly those of us in our 30s, who grew up listening to him. For me, it was convincing my parents to buy the "Thriller" album (33 RPMs!), and listening to it for hours at a time on our sweet Curtis Mathes all-in-one home entertainment system that looked a lot like this.

For a college buddy of mine (who shall remain nameless to spare him the shame of what I'm about to write) it was probably attending breakdancing classes as a chubby preteen while sporting one sparkly glove and a backpack stuffed with his Cabbage Patch Kid. (Amazingly, he now holds down a full-time job and spent very little time in therapy.)

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And for Terrell Owens, the enigmatic NFL wideout currently with the Bills, it was a Michael Jackson dance contest. Via BuffaloBills.com's Chris Brown:

Terrell Owens said last week the Dallas Cowboys got rid of him to make him a scapegoat for Tony Romo's failure to become a leader. But when Romo was asked this week to respond to Owens' comments, he declined to get into a war of words with his highly volatile ex-teammate.

On Tuesday, Brinson posted the video of Polish model Joanna Krupa clowning Terrell Owens on Superstars, the original reality show (now you know who to blame).

Something about T.O. hurting the team's chance to win. It was all very made-for-teevee in that it was candid, awkward, and forced. Good times.

Anyway, a day later, Owens issued a blanket apology for, well, everything he has done, or might do in the future. The apology was tongue-in-cheek and funny. And, for me, that's what differentiates T.O. from, say, Chad Ochocinco. He'll wreck your team, sure, but he also has the self-awareness to know he's doing it, and will even make jokes about it in the process. Don't get me wrong: I don't want him on my team, but the sideshow is wholly enjoyable from afar.

(Video after the jump.)

Terrell Owens has made many a teammate unhappy in his time as a professional athlete. (49ers, Eagles, Cowboys. Oh my.) But it's never his fault! Of course, when he appears on the reality show (reality, right?) known as "Superstars" and still manages to cheese off Polish model Joanna Krupa ... well, maybe it's time we see a pattern, no? Enjoy that, city of Buffalo. Should be a fun season.

Video is after the jump. (Punte's got a NSFW version over at With Leather.)

The Cowboys cut Terrell Owens in early March, and we've been subjected to a story or so a week about why it happened, who was to blame, and what it means for both parties going forward.

This is newsworthy for a few reasons: it's the offseason, it's the Cowboys and it's T.O. Anybody else, or any other time of year, and these headlines have a shelf life of a few days. But it's June, so here we are.

And according to Yahoo.com's Michael Silver, who spent a couple days talking to Jerry and Stephen Jones, the real reason T.O. got axed was because he was too popular. Seriously.

The FanHouse Podcast: Because bloggers are much sexier on the phone.

Stephanie Stradley has been with FanHouse since its inception, and Thursday night might have been the lowlight of her internet career: she joined Will Brinson and Ryan Wilson on HouseCast.

Actually, Stephanie's a lawyer in real life so we decided to have her on to talk about two of her recent posts: Tweeting with T.O., and Donte Stallworth's plea deal. And while the Stallworth news has obvious legal implications, so does T.O. TweeterGate.

Stephanie also talks about the Twitter phenomenon -- especially among athletes -- the differences between the Stallworth and Vick cases, the prospects for the Texans in 2009, and, of course, Brett Favre. (Seriously.)

Fun starts after the jump.

CARROLLTON, Texas -- There was a moment during Monday's minicamp practice where Cowboys wide receiver Roy Williams was wide open and didn't get the ball.

Quarterback Tony Romo missed his new lead receiver over the middle, and as a result, Williams shot Romo a look, then talked to him when the play was over.

If this had been Terrell Owens, who is now in Buffalo, there would have been a federal investigation into why and how Romo missed him.

But the facts are Williams wants the ball just as much as Owens, and isn't afraid to complain about it. The difference is that Williams will not do his complaining through the media, he will do it in private.

His contract says Dick Jauron is the Bills coach until 2011. The fact is he might not last the 2009 season.

Last year, the Bills finished 7-9 for the third consecutive season and Jauron was given another opportunity to prove himself when he received a contract extension in October. The man hasn't produced a winning season of football since the 2001 season when he led the Bears to a 13-3 record.

All he's done in upstate New York is get criticized for the way the team has performed.

For most Buffalo Bills fans, Terrell Owens is a welcome distraction. He's a ticking time bomb, sure, but if the organization can find a way to placate him, he has the ability to help the Bills get back to the playoffs and make them relevant again in the process.

That's worth the potential headache. Plus, if history is any guide, T.O. will be a model citizen during the 2009 season; he only acts out after at least one year in a new town. So there's that.

Unfortunately, the fine folks in the posh suburbs surrounding Buffalo (well, as posh as suburbs can be in an historically industrial, mostly blue-collar Upstate New York city) aren't convinced. Via his Twitter tabulator, Owens relays the trouble he's having finding a place to stay.

Save the actual act of filling out the pink slip, Greg Ellis' 11-year career with the Cowboys is done. He was hailed as a team leader -- something the organization lacked in recent years -- and his DallasCowboys.com bio confirms as much:

"... Ellis has been a pillar of consistency and production for the Cowboys in his 10 seasons as an NFL player. Whether it be overcoming the adversity of a serious injury or making a position switch in the later stages of his career, Ellis has always responded."

But as you might have heard, the NFL is a business, and players -- even the good ones -- are sent on their way as soon as a coach, scout or owner determines they're no longer useful. And with 2007 first-round pick Anthony Spencer ready to assume Ellis' job, it was a relatively easy decision, at least from a business standpoint.